Bird view
by lupin and black
Summary: Arthur is at war with an unnaturally smart bird, Slash Arthur/Merlin present day AU


It was a bird of uncommon size, yet compared to the other birds that roosted on the window ledge it still managed to look hollow chest. There was something odd about the bird, maybe it was the color or the look of it. Those eyes, it had to be those vile eyes, birds did not have eyes like that or it might just be the fact that Arthur could identify that particular bird from all the other birds perched on the window ledge. It was a bird not common to these parts, he was a least sure of that but that did not explain the hate. Because he was sure it was hate in the bird's eyes.

It started simple enough. On that morning Arthur was rushing for work. Juan the sort of boyfriend had become the affirmative ex the night before. It had taken longer than Arthur had planned for Juan to get all his anger out and final storm out the apartment and really never again with the late night break ups. He woke late and did not have time to use his face wash. He couldn't find the lavender tie that went so well with his gray shirt and his shoelaces seem shorter than normal. When he got outside there was a bird sitting on the hood of his car. Mind you it was just sitting, but that would have been temporary, because a bird sitting is usually followed by a bird shitting and that was a brand new car. So Arthur believed it was well with in his right to find the closest thing, a bottle and hurl it at the bird. The bird jumped up and flapped its wings in surprise. It landed back on the car and turned to look at Arthur, which is not what normal birds do, but it sat there and glared hatred at him and Arthur waved trying to make it go away and when that didn't work he hurled a cup at it. The bird flapped it wings and squawked and Arthur screamed at it and really thinking back on that day it seems a bit crazy him screaming at a bird for making him late. The bird squawked some more it flew at Arthur who jumped back than it's took off at a leisure pace and Arthur was indeed late for work.

And the next morning there was bird shit all over the front window of his car and he looked up and there on the ledge sat the bird and he swore it was smirking. He admits he cursed the bird and it parentage and hurled his shoe at the bird. The shoe smack the bird off it ledge, both shoe and bird fell to the ground. Arthur took back his shoe and considered kicking the bird but it look defeated laying there on the ground, than it was up on its evil feet giving him a evil look before it took off on its vile wings and Arthur knew he was in trouble.

It was a war that the bird won more often since it did have the gift of flight. So far the vilest thing it had done was shit in his hair as he was walked out the office building with a very important rather stunning looking business partner.

Six months into this war and Arthur was dame sure this was in no way a normal bird. He talked to it and it squawked back. And there was that one night when he was drunk off his ass and he sat on the stoop of someone else flat and the bird found him and sat with him for hours while he just sat and cursed his father, his job, his crap boyfriend, his crap football team, his shampoo and the gas prices, the bird squawked in all the right places and flew above him as he stumbled home.

There was that day four weeks past when he found the bird in a corner by his flat, its wing was bent at an angle that was all wrong and he won't admit to the panic that came over him till the bird lifted its head and gave him a quiet patient look. So of course he warped the thing in his jacket which cost just about the same as the bill the vet mailed him. He found out the bird was a type of hawk, a Merlin and was not a species found in the London area, it was male and still rather young in bird years. Arthur took the bird home and it walked around his flat and pecked at things. But mostly it sat at Arthur side while he watched a football game on TV. He warped it in a buddle of sheets and made a nest for it on the other side of his bed. It squawked at him till he turned on music. Arthur noticed that its eyes where a solid gold, they where oddly human eyes. He spent the rest of the night trying not to look the bird in the eye. He feed it before he left in the morning, it sat on his shoulder and pecked at his hair. When he lifted it off his shoulder to rest it on a chair he noticed its eyes where a bright blue. He tried to ignore the obvious. When he got home from work it was gone and he will admit he sleep bad that night but that was the curry he ate for dinner acting up. The relief he felt the next morning when it was sitting on the hood of his car was all from the fact that it had not shit on his car.

Of course the next morning it did shit on the car and Arthur tossed his breakfast roll at it and missed.

So here we are on this morning six months into the war. The bird is sits on the ledge of the building, Arthur flips the bird off and get in his car.

When he gets to work Morgana is already in. She meets him in his office and gives him that tight lip smile that means she is all business today.

"You're late"

"Four bloody minutes, it's the dame bird's fault"

Her smile loosens into something like amusement. Arthur had made the drunken mistake of telling his stepsister about the bird and now she kept weekly tabs on who was wining the war.

"Really what did he do?"

"It shit on my car again of course, better the car than my shoes"

She laughs and it's been 2 days since she last laughed and Arthur thinks it wrong that she chooses to work here it will never make her happy and she deserves to laugh every day.

"Is father in today?"

"No. He flew to the French office for the week, why. Wait. Stop Arthur, get that look off your face."

"We are playing hooky today."

"We have projects to start planning today."

"We finished all the important ones and it planning we can start Monday."

"Arthur you don't ever want to play hooky."

"Yes but you haven't offered in months so I thought I should take the incentive"

She pauses to consider it, Arthur can see her giving in. "Gwen does get off at 12, today."

"And we can pull Lance from the depth of his dungeon, it will be fun."

She is smiling now full on bright and happy. This is Arthur's favorite Morgana though he would never tell her that.

"We are going to the beach, wonderful. I'll see you in the lobby in 10."

Arthur nods and watches her stalk off on her 4 inch heels. He cancels all his meetings and ditches lunch plans. He grabs his bag and heads downs to the lobby, Morgana is already there. She smiles when she sees him, when he gets close enough she slips her arm through his and they walk together.

"Coffee shop"

"God Morgana your place is always packed."

"It crowded Arthur because it is the best coffee in the world. I told Lance to meet us there and promised him a cupcake."

"Of course you did."

The shop is as always crowded but not as bad as it could be. Lance is with them by the time they make it to the front of the line. Arthur looks up from his BlackBerry and meets blue blue eyes, familiar blue eyes they narrow in something like confusion and he is sure it's the same look the bird gave him three weeks back when he feed it half his cupcake, except of course that make no sense at all. Morgana perks up.

"Merlin" she say the name with great joy and Arthur does not almost chock on nothing.

"Where have you been?"

The man behind the counter, Merlin apparently, gives Morgana a big smile. "Studying but classes are done now."

His accent is not London, something more country and his name is Merlin, the bird was a Merlin, a Merlin with blue blue eyes except of course when they were gold and suddenly Arthur is convinced he is going batshit crazy.

Morgana reaches across the counter and gives Merlin a hug. She presses a kiss to his cheek.

"What time do you cut out of this place?"

Merlin laughs, it's a nice sound, Arthur hits his toe against the counter.

"12, the boss cut me early"

Morgana smile manages to fit some width in it "perfect, beach time, say you'll come."

Arthur is not crazy, Merlin so does shot him a shy look before agreeing to come along. Morgana pulls out her phone and the people in line behind her start making noise and Lance turns around glares at them.

"Patient people she almost done. This is a meeting of friend be kind."

Arthur clears his throat and orders there coffee and pastries from the other man behind the counter who been waiting patiently at Merlin elbow..

Morgana practically bounces out the store, coffee in one hand iPhone in the other.

They split to go get beach ready.

Arthur is not so fond of the beach. He preferred to do his swimming in the pool a nice contained space with the absent of sand. After over an hour of Morgana making fun of his sand phobia he abandons her Gwen and Lance for a walk.

Which is how he finds himself standing there on the shore water splashing at his feet with Merlin at his side. Merlin squints at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"We came down in the same car."

Merlin rolls his eyes, he seem very comfortable now that it is just him and Arthur.

"I meant here as in on this particular piece of ground."

"Why does it matter, is this your piece of ground."

Merlin glares at him and Arthur is once again reminded of his bird.

"You're being purposefully stupid."

"Am I? How would you know that?"

"Arthur stop being a prat."

"I'm just being myself. So Merlin what are you doing on this spot of beach?"

Merlin looks away from him out toward the water. "Bird watching"

Arthur looks up at the birds hanging low over the water.

"I have a bird he's a Merlin."

Merlin gives him an odd look "You have a pet bird? I though you would be the dog type."

"He's not really a pet I kind of found him we are at war, him and I. Currently according to _Morgana_ tally he's winning by a landslide but he does have a flying advantage."

Merlin is smiling at him, not a I am laughing at you smile, this a full on joyful smile. Arthur steps closer.

"He's an odd bird hangs around my window ledge all the time, kind of an odd hungry looking thing."

Merlin glares but the smile is still there and Arthur leans in and kisses him, Merlin kisses back until he's not.

"Why did we stop?"

Merlin is breathing hard his eyes squeeze shut. "Because I don't kiss people random people on the beach"

"Why not I hear it's very romantic."

Merlin looks smaller now his eyes downcast "there is a lot you don't know about me Arthur and this could get messy very fast"

"What is there I need to know. I think I caught all the important things."

Merlin was pulling on his shirt his fingers making a mess of the cloth, his cheeks were stained a dull red.

"Arthur, you make me do stupid things."

Arthur reaches out and tips his head back and meets bright gold eyes, he smiles.

"My bird has gold eyes and sometimes there blue a lot like yours."

"Arthur" his name is a broken sound and it is enough.

Arthur cuts him off with a kiss and this time Merlin goes with it.

In the time after Arthur has to wash his car a lot less. Of course there are still those days when his car still needs the extra scrubbing those tend to follow the days after he has been extra prat like.


End file.
